Page 9.indd - The Colorado Catholic Herald

LENTEN GUIDE
COLORADO CATHOLIC HERALD | March 7, 2014
LENT 2014
a time for healing
and hope
A Guide to the Lenten Season and the
Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
God’s Gift of Forgiveness
A Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
By the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
eace be with you!” With these words,
the Risen Lord greeted his frightened
Apostles in the Upper Room on the
day of his Resurrection. They were troubled,
anxious, and fearful — much like each one of
us at some point in our lives. Christ repeated the
words, “Peace be with you.” But then he added,
“Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins
you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:19-23).
“P
What an extraordinary gift! The Risen Lord was proclaiming
that all the suffering he had just endured was in order to
make available the gifts of salvation and forgiveness. He
wanted the Apostles to receive these gifts. He wanted them
to become apostles of this forgiveness to others.
In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also
called confession, we meet the Lord, who wants to grant
forgiveness and the grace to live a renewed life in him. In
this sacrament, he prepares us to receive him free from
serious sin, with a lively faith, earnest hope, and sacrificial
love in the Eucharist. The Church sees confession as so
important that she requires that every Catholic go at least
once a year (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 14571458).
The Church also encourages frequent confession in order
to grow closer to Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church.
By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we seek forgiveness and
repentance, let go of patterns of sin, grow in the life of
virtue, and witness to a joyful conversion. Since the graces
of the sacrament are so similar to the purpose of the New
Evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI has said, “The New
Evangelization . . . begins in the confessional!”(Pope
Benedict XVI, Address to the Annual Course on the Internal
Forum Organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary, March 9,
2012).
We bishops and priests are eager to help you if you
experience difficulty, hesitation, or uncertainty about
approaching the Lord in this sacrament. If you have not
received this healing sacrament in a long time, we are ready
to welcome you. We, whom Christ has ordained to minister
this forgiveness in his name, are also approaching this
sacrament, as both penitents and ministers, throughout our
lives and at this special moment of grace during Lent. We
want to offer ourselves to you as forgiven sinners seeking to
serve in the Lord’s name.
During Lent — in addition to the various penitential
services during which individual confession takes place —
we bishops and priests will be making ourselves available
often for the individual celebration of this sacrament. We
pray that through the work of the Holy Spirit, all Catholics
— clergy and laity — will respond to the call of the New
Evangelization to encounter Christ in the Sacrament
of Penance and Reconciliation. Come to the Lord and
experience the extraordinary grace of his forgiveness!
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10
LENTEN GUIDE
March 7, 2014 |
C O L O R A D O C AT H O L I C H E R A L D
The Light is ON for You This Lent!
THE
BISHOP’S VOICE
LA VOZ DEL
MOST REV. MICHAEL J. SHERIDAN, S.T.D.
Diocese of Colorado Springs
A
board the plane returning from the World Youth Day celebrations in
Rio de Janeiro, journalist Antonio Spadaro began his interview of Pope
Francis with a curious question: “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?”
The question was obviously an attempt to discern who this new pope understood
himself to be at the very core of his being. The pope was silent for a few seconds, but
then responded: “I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of
speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”
Of all the possible — and obvious — answers that Francis could have given to the
question, the answer that he gave must surely have taken aback the interviewer. But
Pope Francis continued. This was not his complete answer to the question. “I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon . . . I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy
and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .”
How like the Apostle Paul the Holy Father was in his response. After his conversion
to Christ, St. Paul spent the rest of his life announcing the gospel of Jesus throughout
the pagan world. And how often the Apostle would present himself as a sinner, even
the greatest of sinners. But, like Pope Francis, Paul knew himself to be the recipient
of the mercy and forgiveness of God, and this was what he counted to be the greatest
possible gift.
Most of us Catholics can remember well that feeling of overwhelming joy and
peace after having made a good confession. My most vivid memory of the power of
God’s mercy is that of confessing my sins to a very holy Jesuit priest who served as my
confessor when I was a young seminary student. It was that priest who brought home
to me the meaning of St. Paul’s words to the Romans: “For if by the offense of the one
man all died, much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound for all” (Rom 5:15). From that time on, my heart and my mind were
set more intently on experiencing the mercy of God rather than wallowing in my sins.
As we begin the holy season of Lent, I invite you to listen for the invitation of the
Lord to bring your sins to him and know again his overwhelming mercy and love. It
will be an invitation to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In anticipation of that invitation, read prayerfully Psalm 51, King David’s poignant confession of the gravity of his
sin. “Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion
wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
For I acknowledge my offense and my sin is before me always: Against you only have
I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
This psalm, so rich in emotion, reveals the depths of pain which a soul experiences
when in sin. The deprivation of grace leaves the sinner feeling crushed and in need of
cleansing. Yet the sinner is always conscious of God’s love and the salvation which is
offered to the contrite.
Knowledge of our sins, consciousness of our transgressions, and awareness of
how our sin affects others is the beginning of conversion. God stirs within us that
longing which makes us realize that we have done wrong and that we want to make
right our relationship with him. Just as God took the initiative to restore the relationship between humanity and himself after the fall of Adam and Eve, so now, when we
sin, God inspires within us that desire for repentance, that need for his forgiveness,
that hope in Divine Mercy, all of which follow the knowledge of our sinfulness.
I invite you to keep this special pullout section of today’s Colorado Catholic Herald,
and to visit our diocesan website (www.diocs.org) for a listing of the times and places
where the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered around the diocese during Lent.
There you will also find resources that will help you to prepare for confession. The
Light is ON for You in your parish church and the Catholic Center in the Citadel
Mall. That light means that a priest is ready to give you absolution for your sins. Even
more, it means that Christ himself is waiting for you, waiting to shower you with his
love and mercy.
Through the confession of our sins to a priest, accompanied by genuine contrition
and a desire to sin no more, we receive an abundance of mercy (God’s love in the face
of our weakness) and grace (God’s life within us). St. Isidore of Seville, a seventh-century bishop and doctor of the Church, taught: “Confession heals, confession justifies,
confession grants pardon of sin; all hope consists in confession; in confession there is
a chance for mercy.”
May God grant all of us the grace to spend these 40 days seeking the conversion
that only God can accomplish.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Lent and Confession-themed content in the Herald will continue
throughout Lent.]
OBISPO
EXCMO. y RVDMO. MONS. MICHAEL J. SHERIDAN, S.T.D.
Obispo de Colorado Springs
bordo del avión de regreso de las celebraciones del Día Mundial
de la Juventud en Río de Janeiro, el periodista Antonio Spadaro
comenzó su entrevista al Papa Francisco con una curiosa pregunta:
“¿Quién es Jorge Mario Bergoglio?”
A
Obviamente, la pregunta era un intento por discernir qué entendimiento tenía este
nuevo Papa de sí mismo en lo más profundo de su ser. El Papa guardó unos segundos
de silencio, pero luego respondió: “Yo soy un pecador. Esta es la definición más precisa.
No es una figura ni género literario. Yo soy un pecador”.
De todas las posibles — y obvias — respuestas que Francisco podría haber dado a
la pregunta, la respuesta que dio, seguramente, desconcertó al entrevistador. Pero el
Papa Francisco continuó. Esta no era su respuesta completa a la pregunta. “Yo soy un
pecador que el Señor ha mirado... Soy un pecador, pero confío en la misericordia y
paciencia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo...”
Qué parecido fue el Santo Padre al apóstol San Pablo en su respuesta. Después de
su conversión a Cristo, San Pablo pasó el resto de su vida anunciando el Evangelio de
Jesús en todo el mundo pagano. Y con qué frecuencia el apóstol se presentaría como
un pecador, incluso el más grande de los pecadores. Pero, al igual que el Papa Francisco,
Pablo sabía que era recipiente de la misericordia y del perdón de Dios, y esto era lo que
él contaba como el mejor regalo posible.
La mayoría de nosotros, los católicos podemos recordar bien ese sentimiento de
inmensa alegría y paz después de haber hecho una buena confesión. Mi recuerdo más
vívido del poder de la misericordia de Dios es cuando le confesaba mis pecados a un
sacerdote jesuita muy santo, que era mi confesor cuando yo era un joven seminarista.
Fue ese sacerdote que le dio significado para mí a las palabras de San Pablo a los romanos: “Así fue la caída, pero el don de Dios no tiene comparación. Todos mueren por
la falta de uno solo, pero la gracia de Dios se multiplica más todavía cuando este don
gratuito pasa de un solo hombre, Jesucristo, a toda una muchedumbre”. (Rom. 5:15).
Desde ese momento, mi corazón y mi mente comenzaron a fijarse más atentamente en
experimentar la misericordia de Dios en lugar de enfocarse en mis pecados.
Al comenzar el sagrado tiempo de Cuaresma, les invito a escuchar la invitación del
Señor a llevarle sus pecados a Él y experimentar nuevamente su inmensa misericordia
y amor. Esta es una invitación a acercarse al Sacramento de la Reconciliación. Antes de
aceptar esta invitación, lean con devoción el Salmo 51, conmovedora confesión del
Rey David sobre la gravedad de su pecado. “Ten piedad de mí, oh Dios, en tu bondad;
por tu gran corazón, borra mi falta. Que mi alma quede limpia de malicia, purifícame
de mi pecado. Pues mi falta yo bien la conozco y mi pecado está siempre ante mí; contra ti, contra ti sólo pequé, lo que es malo a tus ojos yo lo hice”.
Este salmo, tan rico en emociones, revela la profundidad del dolor que experimenta un alma en pecado. La privación de la gracia deja al pecador sintiéndose aplastado y
con la necesidad de limpiarse. Sin embargo, el pecador siempre es consciente del amor
de Dios y la salvación que se ofrece a los que se arrepienten.
El conocimiento de nuestros pecados, la conciencia de nuestras transgresiones y
el reconocimiento de cómo nuestro pecado afecta a otros es el comienzo de la conversión. Dios mueve dentro de nosotros ese anhelo, que nos hace dar cuenta que hemos
actuado mal, y que queremos obrar bien en nuestra relación con Él. Al igual que Dios
tomó la iniciativa de restaurar la relación entre la humanidad y Él después de la caída
de Adán y Eva, así también ahora, cuando pecamos, Dios inspira dentro de nosotros ese
deseo de arrepentimiento, esa necesidad de alcanzar su perdón, esa esperanza en la misericordia divina, todos los cuales siguen al conocimiento de nuestra pecaminosidad.
Los invito a conservar esta sección especial desglosable del Colorado Catholic Herald
de hoy y a visitar nuestro sitio web diocesano (www.diocs.org) para obtener un listado de
las horas y lugares donde se ofrecerá el Sacramento de la Reconciliación en la diócesis
durante la Cuaresma. Allí también encontrarán recursos que les ayudarán a prepararse
para la confesión. La luz está ENCENDIDA para ustedes en su iglesia parroquial y en el
centro católico del Citadel Mall. Esa luz significa que un sacerdote está listo para darles
la absolución de sus pecados. Más aún, significa que Cristo mismo está esperándolos,
esperando para llenarlos de su amor y misericordia.
Mediante la confesión de nuestros pecados a un sacerdote, el arrepentimiento
genuino y un deseo de no pecar más, recibimos una abundancia de misericordia (el
amor de Dios frente a nuestra debilidad) y gracia (la vida de Dios dentro de nosotros).
San Isidoro de Sevilla, Obispo del siglo VII y doctor de la iglesia, enseñó: “la confesión
sana, la confesión justifica, la confesión concede el perdón del pecado; toda esperanza
consiste en la confesión; en la confesión hay una posibilidad de misericordia”.
¡Qué Dios nos conceda la gracia de vivir estos cuarenta días buscando la conversión que sólo Dios puede lograr en nosotros!
(Traducido por Carmen y Rudy López de la Catedral Santa María.)
LENTEN GUIDE
COLORADO CATHOLIC HERALD | March 7, 2014
AVE MARIA, Parker
Confessions — Tuesdays following the 7 a.m. Mass; Saturdays,
3:30-4:45 p.m.
CATHOLIC CENTER The Citadel Mall
Confessions — Available 10 a.m.8 p.m. Mon.-Sat. except during
Masses (English and Spanish).
CORPUS CHRISTI
Confessions — Saturdays
3-5p.m.; Sundays 5-6 p.m.
OUR LADY OF THE WOODS
Confessions — Wednesdays,
5:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:45 a.m.;
Saturdays, 3:30 p.m.; Sundays
(St. Peter’s Chapel), 1 p.m.
PAX CHRISTI, Littleton
Confessions — Fridays after
Stations of the Cross, 6:307:30 p.m.
SACRED HEART, Cheyenne Wells
Penance Service —
March 19, 6:45 p.m.
DIVINE REDEEMER
Confessions — Saturdays, 3:30-
4:45 p.m.; Apr. 19, 10 a.m.-noon.
SACRED HEART, C.S.
Penance Service —
March 12, 6:30 p.m.
Confessions — Fridays of Lent
(excluding Good Friday) from 9
-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.;
Saturdays (excluding Holy Saturday), 9:30-11 a.m.
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA, Hugo
Penance Service — April 10, 7
p.m. — Mass of Reconciliation
followed by Confessions.
Confessions — March 27 and
April 3 following the 7 p.m.
Mass; April 16 following the 5
p.m. Stations of the Cross.
HOLY FAMILY, Leadville
Penance Service— (St. Joseph)
Apr. 6, 5 p.m.
HOLY TRINITY
Confessions — Saturdays, 4
p.m.; also offered at Lenten Retreat, March 18-20, 6-7:30 p.m.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Confessions — Tuesdays and
Thursdays, 7:40 p.m. (following
7 p.m. Spanish Mass); Saturdays, 4 p.m.
OUR LADY OF THE PINES
Penance Service— April 3, 6:30 p.m.
Confessions — Saturdays, 3:30-
4:15 p.m.; Tuesdays during
Lent, 9:30 a.m.
OUR LADY OF VICTORY, Limon
Penance Service —
March 12, 7 p.m.
Confessions — March 7, 7-8
p.m.; March 8 following 9 a.m.
Benediction; April 4 and 11
following 9 a.m. Mass; April 18
following 2 p.m. Stations of
the Cross.
OUR LADY OF THE VISITATION, Elizabeth
Penance Service—
March 29, 10 a.m.
Confessions — Saturdays, 4-4:45
p.m.; Wednesdays, 5:30-6:15 p.m.
Penance Service —
April 3, 5:30 p.m.
Confessions — Every Friday,
4:45-5:30 p.m.; Saturdays,
3:45-4:45 p.m.
ST. JOSEPH, Fairplay
Confessions — Every Friday during Lent, 10:30 a.m.-3p.m.
ST. JOSEPH, Salida
Confessions — Saturdays, 4 p.m.
ST. MARK, Highlands Ranch
Confessions — Saturdays, 4-5 p.m.; Confessions — Saturdays, 3-4
Sundays of Lent, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
HOLY APOSTLES
ST. JOSEPH, C.S.
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO, Stratton
Confessions —
Saturdays, 4-4:45 p.m.
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA, Burlington
Penance Service — Apr. 2, 7 p.m.
Confessions — Fridays of Lent,
7:30 p.m. (after the 7 p.m. English Stations of the Cross)
ST. DOMINIC, Security
Penance Service —
April 12, 10 a.m.
Confessions — Saturdays, 3-4:30
p.m.; Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m.
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, C.S.
Confessions — Saturdays, 4-4:30
p.m., Wed. and Thurs., 5-6 p.m.
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, Castle Rock
Penance Service — April 1, 7 p.m.
Confessions — Fridays, 7-8 p.m.;
Saturdays, 4:15-5:15 p.m.
ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL
Confessions — March 22, 29
and Apr. 5 and 12, 3-4:45 p.m.;
Mon.-Fri., 11:50 a.m.-12:10 p.m.
Send Us Your Letters!
Please send your letters
on Herald content to:
[email protected]
p.m.; Tuesdays, after 6 p.m.
Mass; March 12, 6:30 p.m.
ST. MARY OF THE ROCKIES, Bailey
Penance Service —
March 11, 7 p.m.
Confessions — Saturdays, 4-4:45
p.m.; Thursdays, 9-10 a.m., or
by appointment.
ST. MARY CATHEDRAL
Penance Service —
March 11, 6 p.m.
Confessions — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-noon;
Saturdays, 2:45-3:45 p.m.
ST. PATRICK
Penance Service —
March 26, 6:30 p.m.
Confessions — Saturdays, 3:304:30 p.m.; March 19, 6:30-7:30
p.m.; April 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
ST. PAUL
Penance Service —
April 9, 6:30 p.m.
Confessions — Wednesdays and
Fridays, 7-7:45 a.m.; Saturdays,
3:30-4:45 p.m.
11
ST. PETER, Monument
Confessions — Mon.-Thurs.,
5-5:30 p.m.; Mon.-Fri., 8:30-9
a.m.; Fridays following Stations
of the Cross.
ST. ROSE OF LIMA, Buena Vista
Penance Service — April 10, 7 p.m.
Confessions — Saturdays,
4:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, after
the 6 p.m. Mass until 7:20 p.m.
12
LENTEN GUIDE
March 7, 2014 |
A Reflection On Lenten Fasting
By Father Daniel Merz/SPECIAL TO THE HERALD
n the early Church
and, to a lesser extent still today,
there were two fasts.
There was the “total fast” that
preceded all major feasts or sacramental events. The ancient name
for this fast was “statio” from the
verb “sto, stare” to stand watch,
on guard or in vigil. The second
fast was a fast of abstinence from
certain foods, e.g., meats or fats.
This was more an act of self-discipline and self-control.
The statio fast was total and
a means of watching and waiting . . . i.e. for something. The
fast of abstinence was more general and personal, to help oneself be more disciplined or selfcontrolled. The total fast is still
kept today prior to reception of
Holy Communion. Following
Holy Communion, the total fast
ceases because Jesus had explicitly stated that we don’t fast when
the bridegroom is here, in other
words, what we’re keeping vigil
for has arrived, the wait is over.
On the other hand, the fast of abstinence was allowed on Sundays
because the continuity of abstinence can be important for it to
be effective.
These initial observations,
then, teach us that the Eucharist
is always the end of a preparation. It is always the fulfillment of
an expectation. In the Orthodox
Church during Lent, they have
Eucharist only on Saturday and
Sunday. But because Wednesdays
and Fridays are total fast days,
those two days are also days for
the Communion service (Liturgy
of the PreSanctified) which are
held in the evening, i.e., after the
day of preparation. Fasting is always preparatory.
But how did fasting become
such an important means of
preparing for the Eucharist and
of learning virtue through selfdiscipline? Christian fasting is
revealed in an interdependence
between two events in the Bible:
the “breaking of the fast” by
Adam and Eve; and the “keeping
of the fast” by Christ at the beginning of his ministry.
Humanity’s “Fall” away
from God and into sin began
with eating. God had proclaimed
a fast from the fruit of only one
tree, the tree of knowledge of
good and evil (Gen 2:17), and
Adam and Eve broke it. Fasting
is here connected with the very
mystery of life and death, of
salvation and damnation. Food
perpetuates life in this physical
world, which is subject to decay
and death. But God “created no
death.” (Wis 1:13) Humanity, in
Adam and Eve, rejected a life de-
I
C O L O R A D O C AT H O L I C H E R A L D
pendent on God alone for one
that was dependent rather on
“bread alone.” (Dt 8:3; Mt 4:4;
Lk. 4:4) The whole world was
given to man as a kind of food,
as a means to life, but “life” is
meant as communion with God,
not as food. (“Their god is their
‘(Fasting teaches) us that the
Eucharist is always the end of
a preparation. It is always the
fulfillment of an expectation.’
belly.” Phil 3:19) The tragedy
is not so much that Adam ate
food, but that he ate the food
for its own sake, “apart” from
God and to be independent of
Him. Believing that food had
life in itself and thus he could be
“like God.” And he put his faith
in food. This kind of existence
seems to be built on the principle that man does indeed live
“by bread alone.”
Christ, however, is the new
Adam. At the beginning of his
ministry in the Gospel of Matthew, we read, “When He had
fasted 40 days and 40 nights,
He became hungry.” Hunger is
that state in which we realize our
dependence on something else
— when we face the ultimate
question: “on what does my life
depend?” Satan tempted both
Adam and Christ, saying: Eat, for
your hunger is proof that you depend entirely on food, that your
life is in food. Adam believed and
ate. Christ said, “Man does NOT
live by bread alone.” (Mt 4:4; Lk
4:4) This liberates us from total
dependence on food, on matter,
on the world. Thus, for the Christian, fasting is the only means
by which man recovers his true
spiritual nature. In order for
fasting to be effective, then, the
spirit must be a part of it. Christian fasting is not concerned
with losing weight. It is a matter
of prayer and the spirit. And because of that, because it is truly
a place of the spirit, true fasting
may well lead to temptation, and
weakness and doubt and irritation. In other words, it will be a
real fight between good and evil,
and very likely we shall fail many
times in these battles. But the
very discovery of the Christian
life as “fight” and “effort” is an
essential aspect of fasting.
Christian tradition can name
at least seven reasons for fasting:
1. From the beginning, God
commanded some fasting, and
sin entered into the world because Adam and Eve broke the
fast.
2. For the Christian, fasting
is ultimately about fasting from
sin.
3. Fasting reveals our dependence on God and not the resources of this world.
Lenten Rules of Fasting and Abstinence
All persons who have reached their 14th birthday are bound by the law of
abstinence. All adults are bound by the law of fast up to their 60th year.
The current canonical discipline of penance for the United States, in
addition to the general character of the Lenten season, may thus be
summed up:
— Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of abstinence from meat and
also days of fast; that is, limited to a single full meal.
— The other Fridays of Lent remain days of abstinence from meat.
— The Fridays of the year outside Lent remain days of penance, but each
individual may substitute for the traditional abstinence from meat some
other practice of voluntary self-denial or personal penance; this may be
physical mortification or temperance or acts of religion, charity or Christian
witness.
4. Fasting is an ancient way
of preparing for the Eucharist —
the truest of foods.
5. Fasting is preparation for
baptism (and all the sacraments)
— for the reception of grace.
6. Fasting is a means of saving resources to give to the poor.
7. Fasting is a means of selfdiscipline, chastity, and the re-
straining of the appetites.
(Father Merz is associate director for the USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship.)
(Author’s Note: This article
draws in part on the writings of
Alexander Schmemann, “Notes in
Liturgical Theology,” St. Vladimir’s
Seminary Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 1,
Winter 1959, pp. 2-9.)
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COLORADO CATHOLIC HERALD | March 7, 2014
13
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LENTEN GUIDE
March 7, 2014 |
C O L O R A D O C AT H O L I C H E R A L D
Tips for Catholics Long Absent from the Confessional
By Mark Pattison/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
fter “Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned” —
even if they get that
far — there are millions of Catholics who don’t exactly know what to say next.
This is especially true for
Catholics who have not gone to
confession in years, or even decades.
Despite parishes and dioceses inviting inactive Catholics
to return to church at Lent, with
the sacrament of reconciliation
as an incentive, it is likely Catholics are afraid, bewildered or even
intimidated at the prospect of returning to the confessional after
such a long period away from it.
A rote recitation of sins
doesn’t seem quite right. Laundry lists, as some priests call
them, are out. In fact, one advises, even devising a game plan
before returning to the confessional is out.
“Just come. Don’t prepare.
We’ll do it in there. I’ll help you
with this. At the end of it, you’re
going to think about things
we didn’t cover. You can come
again,” said Msgr. Richard Lavalley, pastor of St. Francis Xavier
Parish in Winooski, Vt. “The
more complicated it becomes,
the worse it becomes. They (penitents) don’t know what to make
of it and they become ashamed.”
The motivations for wanting
to go back to confession can be
many, said Jesuit Father Jake Empereur, a priest since 1965 and
a parochial vicar at St. Matthew
Parish in San Antonio.
A
“It could be because of
health issues. It could be because
their conscience moves them to
finally be able to participate in
the Church and the liturgy and
Communion and things like
that,” he said. “People get married. Sometimes it’s someone’s
first Communion, sometimes it’s
a wedding. It’s all sorts of different reasons.”
‘If you’re holding back
because you’re afraid or
you’re frightened or you
don’t know what to do or
how to say it, say “Our Lady
sent me.” I can’t tell you how
many times that’s worked.’
— Msgr. Richard Lavalley
And what they have on their
mind — and want to get off their
chest — can vary as well, Father
Empereur told Catholic News
Service. A few things stand out,
he said.
“Being in an irregular marriage, they gave up believing in
God when they were in their early 20s and now they’re thinking
about that. Each case is really,
truly different,” he said, adding
he tells penitents to focus on
“what they came to say” because
it “gives me further questioning
on what I need to do (as a priest):
whether or not they’re married,
personal relationships, issues in
their life, whatever it might be.”
“They don’t talk about a lot
of non-sins, small things and so
forth,” Father Empereur continued. “They have a couple of major things, relating to marriage
— they got married outside the
church, they had a bad experience with a priest, or so forth.
Sometimes they’ll talk about taking drugs, adultery, perhaps, or
sleeping around. Things like that
might come up in the course (of
a confession) — not the grocery
list for things that happen more
frequently.”
Msgr. Lavalley said he tells
penitents, “If you’re holding
back because you’re afraid or
you’re frightened or you don’t
know what to do or how to say
it, say ‘Our Lady sent me.’ I can’t
tell you how many times that’s
worked.”
He recalled the time one
man came into the reconciliation room telling him, “I’m supposed to tell you somebody sent
me, but I can’t remember who it
was.” He added he told the man
it was Our Lady, and that “she
sent me, too.”
Msgr. Lavalley said he’s told
penitents, “I don’t bite, I don’t
kick, I don’t yell and I don’t
faint. So let’s start. Can I help
you by going through the Commandments? . . . Is it easier for
you to say yes or no with me?”
And in doing that, he added, “I
get what I need.”
Father Empereur said he asks
penitents whether they pray.
“Usually they’ll say something like their evening prayers
before they go to bed, or they
pray before meals. Usually they
have not been going to Mass:
‘I say the rosary’ or things like
that,” he explained. “Then you
can talk about participation in
the Eucharist. So you have to
kind of instruct them, helping
them along. Encourage them.
‘Are you going to be more involved in the Church? Are you
going to go to Mass? Are you going to go to confession once in a
while?’”
“What’s prominent? What is
most outstanding in their mind?
. . . They have something on
their minds. That’s why they’re
coming in the first place. Usually
I find my questions have to do
with their relationships or to talk
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about their spiritual life a little
bit. After all, that’s the purpose
of all this. I can’t say I’ve had two
identical confessions.”
Msgr. Lavalley remembers
himself as a grade schooler making comparisons among the
priests in his parish about which
ones handed out sterner or lighter penances.
But he recalled one experience with a priest that “made me
the confessor that I am. He was
so kind and so wonderful, and
I never forgot the penance he
gave me. He said, ‘Can you say
the name of Jesus once? I’ll say
it for you.’ And he did it without
sarcasm.
“That changed my life.”
LENTEN GUIDE
COLORADO CATHOLIC HERALD | March 7, 2014
Journey to the Foot of the Cross:
Ten Things to Remember For Lent
Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, chairman of the Committee
on Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB), offers “10 Things to Remember for Lent”:
Remember the formula. The Church does a good job capturing certain truths
with easy-to-remember lists and formulas: 10 Commandments, seven sacraments, 3 persons in the Trinity. For Lent, the Church gives us almost a slogan
— Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving — as the three things we need to work on
during the season.
It’s a time of prayer. Lent is essentially an act of prayer spread out over 40
days. As we pray, we go on a journey, one that hopefully brings us closer to
Christ and leaves us changed by the encounter with him.
It’s a time to fast. With the fasts of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, meatless Fridays, and our personal disciplines interspersed, Lent is the only time
many Catholics these days actually fast. And maybe that’s why it gets all the
attention. “What are you giving up for Lent? Hotdogs? Beer? Jelly beans?”
It’s almost a game for some of us, but fasting is actually a form of penance,
which helps us turn away from sin and toward Christ.
It’s a time to work on discipline. The 40 days of Lent are also a good, set
time to work on personal discipline in general. Instead of giving something
up, it can be doing something positive. “I’m going to exercise more. I’m going to pray more. I’m going to be nicer to my family, friends and coworkers.”
It’s about dying to yourself. The more serious side of Lenten discipline is
that it’s about more than self-control — it’s about finding aspects of yourself
that are less than Christ-like and letting them die. The suffering and death of
Christ are foremost on our minds during Lent, and we join in these mysteries
by suffering, dying with Christ and being resurrected in a purified form.
Don’t do too much. It’s tempting to make Lent some ambitious period of
personal reinvention, but it’s best to keep it simple and focused. There’s a
reason the Church works on these mysteries year after year. We spend our
entire lives growing closer to God. Don’t try to cram it all in one Lent. That’s
a recipe for failure.
Lent reminds us of our weakness. Of course, even when we set simple goals
for ourselves during Lent, we still have trouble keeping them. When we fast,
we realize we’re all just one meal away from hunger. In both cases, Lent
shows us our weakness. This can be painful, but recognizing how helpless we
are makes us seek God’s help with renewed urgency and sincerity.
Be patient with yourself. When we’re confronted with our own weakness during Lent, the temptation is to get angry and frustrated. “What a bad person I
am!” But that’s the wrong lesson. God is calling us to be patient and to see
ourselves as he does, with unconditional love.
Reach out in charity. As we experience weakness and suffering during Lent,
we should be renewed in our compassion for those who are hungry, suffering or otherwise in need. The third part of the Lenten formula is almsgiving.
It’s about more than throwing a few extra dollars in the collection plate; it’s
about reaching out to others and helping them without question as a way of
sharing the experience of God’s unconditional love.
Learn to love like Christ. Giving of ourselves in the midst of our suffering
and self-denial brings us closer to loving like Christ, who suffered and poured
himself out unconditionally on cross for all of us. Lent is a journey through
the desert to the foot of the cross on Good Friday, as we seek him out, ask
his help, join in his suffering, and learn to love like him.
Just send in your prayer requests, and we will
include your needs in our prayers and weekly Mass.
List your intention below and mail it to:
The Colorado Catholic Herald
Prayer Intentions,
228 N. Cascade Ave.,
Colorado Springs CO 80903
Please send no money. Just pray for us in return and
for the intentions of all Colorado’s bishops.
Do You Have a
Prayer Intention?
If you have a special need
or prayer intention, the staff of
The Colorado Catholic Herald
will pray with you.
My Prayer Intention:
(No signature is required)
15
How to Make an Examination of Conscience
R
ecall your sins. Prayerfully ask yourself
what you have done with full knowledge and full consent against God’s
and the Church’s Commandments.
* Is my really heart set on God? Do I trust in
God’s love and mercy? Do I love God above all
things and am I faithful to what He asks? Do
I pray every day? Have I thanked God for the
blessings given to me?
* Is my faith in God secure? Have I tried to grow
in my faith and to deepen my love for God?
Have I been careful to hear God’s Word in
scripture and in Church teaching? Am I wholehearted in accepting the Church’s teaching?
* Did I take the name of God in vain? Did I
curse or take a false oath?
* Did I miss Mass on Sunday or on holy days
of obligation through my own fault? Am I
attentive at Mass? Did I fast and abstain on
the prescribed days?
* Did I disobey my parents or lawful superiors in
important matters? Was I disrespectful? Did I
hate or quarrel with anyone, or desire revenge?
Did I refuse to forgive?
* Did I respect life? Did I recommend, advise,
or actively take part in an abortion, in
euthanasia or in other threats to human life?
* Did I take care of my body? Did I engage in
impure conversations or actions? Did I use
artificial means to prevent conception?
Did I use others for my own pleasure?
* Was I unfaithful to my spouse? Did I engage
in sexual activity outside of marriage?
* Did I steal or damage another’s property?
Have I been honest and just in my business
relations?
* Have I been responsive to the needs of the
poor and respected the dignity of others?
* Did I tell lies? Have I hurt others by
damaging their reputation, honor, or material
possessions? Did I judge others rashly?
* Have I envied other people?
— Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Md.
16
LENTEN GUIDE
March 7, 2014 |
HOW TO GO TO
CONFESSION
C O L O R A D O C AT H O L I C H E R A L D
May the Passion of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, the in
tercession of the
Blessed Virgin Mary an
d of all the saints, what
ever good you do
and suffering you endure
, heal your sins, help you
grow in holiness,
and reward you with eter
nal life. Go in peace. –R
ite of Penance, no. 93
9 STEPS TO A GOOD CONFESSION
1 PREPARATION: Before going to
confession, take some time to prepare.
Begin with prayer, and reflect on your life
since your last confession. How have you
— in your thoughts, words, and actions
— neglected to live Christ’s commands to
“love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind,” and to “love your neighbor as
yourself” (Mt 22:37, 39)? As a help with
this “examination of conscience,” you
might review the Ten Commandments
or the Beatitudes (Ex 20:2-17; Dt 5:6-21;
Mt 5:3-10; or Lk 6:20-26).
2 GREETING: The priest will welcome
you; he may say a short blessing or read a
Scripture passage.
3
SIGN OF THE CROSS: Together,
you and the priest will make the Sign of
the Cross. You may then begin your
confession with these or similar words:
“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It
has been [give days, months, or years] since
my last confession.”
4 CONFESSION: Confess all your sins
to the priest. If you are unsure what to
say, ask the priest for help. When you are
finished, conclude with these or similar
words: “I am sorry for these and all my
sins.”
5 PENANCE: The priest will propose
an act of penance. The penance might
be prayer, a work of mercy, or an act of
charity. He might also counsel you on how
to better live a Christian life.
6 ACT OF CONTRITION: After the priest
has conferred your penance, pray an Act of
Contrition, expressing sorrow for your sins
and resolving to sin no more. A suggested
Act of Contrition is:
My God,
I am sorry for my sins
with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
whom I should love
above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance, to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever
leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy.
(Rite of Penance, no. 45)
7 ABSOLUTION: The priest will extend
his hands over your head and pronounce
the words of absolution. You respond,
“Amen.”
8 PRAISE: The priest will usually praise
the mercy of God and will invite you to do
the same. For example, the priest may say,
“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.”
And your response would be, “His mercy
endures forever” (Rite of Penance, no. 47).
9 DISMISSAL: The priest will conclude
the sacrament, often saying, “Go in peace.”
If it has been a while since your last
confession, remember, “Do not fear” (Is
41:10). The priest will help guide you. And
feel free to take this how-to guide with you!
(For more information, visit www.usccb.org/
confession.)
(©2013 United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, Washington, D.C. www.usccb.org)
Herald photo of Holy Apostles Church rose window
by Peter Fecteau